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Seriously, three "bench personnel" pulling this bull$#!+ . . . ban them from the dugouts for the rest of the season.

Yet, we are going to waste an umpire on an . . . checks notes . . .shakes head in disgust . . . gags a little . . . 8u . . . tournament?! Shame on all involved. It is true, we do not have enough umpires. However, we also have far too many games being played and far too many games that think they need umpires.

Yes, please tell me you are a new TASO umpire and haven't had much training yet. Check your book for 8-2-6-h. Tag-Ups.

My biggest pet peeve is my base umpire calling time whenever requested. My general response is “no” or “for what purpose” or “get up” (baserunner). Calling time for anything and everything, to me, is the easiest tell that you’re not a very seasoned umpire.

Under Objectives of the Game (OBR Rule 1): 1.02 The offensive team’s objective is to have its batter become a runner, and its runners advance. 1.03 The defensive team’s objective is to prevent offensive players from becoming runners, and to prevent their advance around the bases. Getting the umpires to help you fulfill one of the objects of the game is a no-no and umpires should not succumb to it. Stop them yourself. Younger ages have rules in place to account for differences from the adult game. One of them is no leading off on 60 foot basepaths (or stealing would be pretty much a non-competitive play). There is no reason for an umpire to call time for the defense to stop runners when the rules proscribe a specific way to do it. This problem takes care of itself as the kids get older. Play on larger diamonds makes it a much riskier play for the offense to test the defense in close quarters.

There are 3 essential components to the equation to solve this problem; we (umpires) have control over 2 of them. The third is under the control of gentlemen like @beerguy55 and @Coach Carl, but I concede, it is highly variable. The first element, and most immediate and direct, is to not call Time. Stop. Deny (the request, the urge, the temptation, etc.). Resist. Hold fast. Stick to it. Respond to the “requests” with: “No.” ”Nope” ”(You) don’t need it.” ”Nah” ”No need” ”Noppity noppity nooooo.” In 94% of cases, our granting of Time is a concession, not a compulsion. In the professional game, the protocol – note, not codified rule – is to call Time, not only to change the baseball (cuz they gots plenty), but because the slightest twitch can result in an Out or an Advanced base, “needlessly”. That’s not part of the “professional game”. This isn’t the case of amateurs, especially of single-digit-age tots. They should be able to throw a ball 10-15 feet, they should be able to catch said ball, they should be able to get themselves up to their feet from a on-butt or on-knees position, and if you say, “but they’re still learning!”, then I’ll immediately counter with, “And experience is the best way to learn!” The second element is we need Tournament Directors / Site Supervisors / League Admin who will reinforce us and this perspective, rather than kowtow to the bleating, “outraged” coaches, and sabotage us. Games are snappier, with more action, and more experiential learning, than being halted every. two. seconds. because. we. need. time. called. to. give. two. thousand. frenzied. signs. to. an. infield. who. doesn’t. know. exactly. what. to. “do”. anyway. Coach, you and I, and everyone here know it’s going to be R2-&-R3 in one pitch, regardless of if you have “a play” on or not. Heck, it’ll likely be R2, with a run scored cuz that pitch… vooooop! <clink> … just went over my head clean to the backstop. Didn’t have that play “on”, didja? But truly, we need TDs and admins to hold the line, and reply, “That’s the way it is.”, not with, “I’ll talk to him (the umpire)”, or, “Yeah, he’s a stickler about that.”, or, “He won’t be doing your games in the future.” Those replies tolerate and coddle those coaches. Which attribute directly to the third element… Which is, coaches must stop coaching this (the granting of time) as an entitlement, an expectation, and as a counter-tactic (to aggressive base running). It is not benefitting their charges (kids), nor is it benefitting the game.

FWIW, Ok, I did it. I bought an Enduro to replace my Wilson. Got it an hour ago. Mostly influenced by this group as I am not a gear hound. Everything else I have owned 5 plus years and I started switching new gear in over the past year and a half. Got this for summer ball and higher level ball, but also as an incentive to get back on the field next year. I will only get to wear it two or three times for the rest of my season. I think I am set for a while. First impressions and comparisons from my perspective/fit. I know some of these have been discussed in earlier threads but this is what comes to mind as I have my hands on one and not imagining it. 1. Enduro is roughly a pound heavier than the Wilson. 2. Enduro is much more denser in padding. 3. 12" Enduro is actually an inch or two lower than the 12" Wilson covering more of my stomach. Can only say I have been hit there once, but it was recent and I was thinking of exchanging for the 14". I don't think I will now. 4. Enduro actually covers my collar bone better than the Wilson did. Different pad shape is what I attribute it to as I have my Wilson as tight as the Enduro. 5. The straps are comparable to the Umplife one on my Wilson. Not thinking about switching them at this point. 6. the side wings were not noticeable when I had them properly positioned. They were folded under and it took me a minute to realize they were not where they needed to be. 7. The one thing I wish was slightly larger is the G-Hooks receiving loop. Maybe its my dexterity, but, I sometimes struggle to unhook them. Not a returnable reason though. 8. Cant see much of difference in bulkiness, if at all. Maybe I need to tune it in. One of my bigger reasons of getting this was my summer experience of overheating, I will have to wait to figure out if what Derek, Max, and Wolfman says is true. I believe them, but until I experience it.... Two thumbs up! Can't wait to try it out.

If we want to play the semantics game, NFHS, NCAA, and OBR all say " . . . if he runs more than three feet . . . " So . . . leaps and contortions are not running. We should be treating this like a runner's lane violation: where were the feet? As far as the runner going past the base, NCAA does specify "three feet left or right . . ." so oversliding is not OOB.

So, if navy, then why this obsession with red (for undershirt)??! Is it that stooooopid adage that undershirt should match last trim stripe?? 🤨 Ridiculous. By that same logic, then black shirts from that “traditional” period should have been white! And, if we carry this into the panel-style shirts on the umpire scene from 2016 thru 2019/20, then the undershirt for black should be grey. Then, if we carry this into the 20/21 placard-style shirts now wore by MLBU, then the undershirt color should be … sky blue! 😱 Maddening, huh? Kinda silly, kinda petty, kinda pointless, right? Well so are those edicts and “rules” that stipulate what we must wear! (Notably and especially when those self-deigned rulemakers didn’t buy or provide them for you!) Really… why can’t that mock-t undershirt be navy? Heck, it could (then) be used by softball, too!

Is there a no logo version? I’m interested but wonder if it would feel like a bad neck tattoo